Hidden behind the wall of forest between Rena and Trysil, Osensjøen is one of the largest lakes in inland Norway: 26 km long, up to 117 metres deep, with 76 km of shoreline. If you have only seen trees since Elverum, this is where the landscape opens up.
The lake sits at 438 metres elevation in a basin straddling Åmot and Trysil municipalities. Its water drains through the Søre Osa river into the Renaelva, then into the Glomma, eventually reaching the sea at Fredrikstad hundreds of kilometres south. The fishing is good: trout, pike, perch, whitefish, and grayling all live here, and the lake has become increasingly popular with anglers in recent years.
At the north end, the village of Osneset has a beach and two churches side by side. The older one, Gamle Nordre Osen Kirke, is a red cruciform timber church from 1777, now preserved as a museum piece. The newer Nordre Osen Kirke was built 75 metres away in 1923 and took over parish duties. At the southeastern end, Søre Osen Kirke serves the other shore.
The lake sits at 438 metres elevation in a basin straddling Åmot and Trysil municipalities. Its water drains through the Søre Osa river into the Renaelva, then into the Glomma, eventually reaching the sea at Fredrikstad hundreds of kilometres south. The fishing is good: trout, pike, perch, whitefish, and grayling all live here, and the lake has become increasingly popular with anglers in recent years.
At the north end, the village of Osneset has a beach and two churches side by side. The older one, Gamle Nordre Osen Kirke, is a red cruciform timber church from 1777, now preserved as a museum piece. The newer Nordre Osen Kirke was built 75 metres away in 1923 and took over parish duties. At the southeastern end, Søre Osen Kirke serves the other shore.